1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable and collapsible devices for uses including such as an ice fishing shanty. More particularly, the present invention discloses a towable/trailerable shanty device which includes a plurality of components assembleable to create an ice fishing shanty or portable hunting enclosure according to any one of a number of differently sized and shaped configurations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well documented with assembleable and portable enclosures for uses including such as a fishing shanty. The objective in each instance is in providing an effective enclosure device which insulates the occupants from the exterior climate effects such as the wind and cold.
A first example of the prior art is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,536, issued to Ward, and which teaches a knock down shelter including opposite end walls each having at least one rigid panel, the lower edges of the panels being releasably received in grooves located at the front and rear, respectively, of the shelter. A plurality of elongated rail members have L-shaped angle elements at each end which detachably engage over the Lipper edges of the panels and also the vertical braces secured thereto. A canvas sheet overlies the upper edges of the panels and the rail members to form the top and side walls of the structure. The edges of the canvas are anchored by flexible ropes, and which pass through openings in the floor to enable the shelter to be used as a fish house during winter months. A hinged lid is further associated with each floor opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,003, issued to Jouty, teaches a modular construction system having a plurality of shaped building sections with spaced connecting apertures positioned along sections of the perimeter thereof, as well as providing a plurality of disconnectable fasteners and a plurality of connecting aperture plugs. The connecting apertures include two cylindrical shaped fastener bores of equal diameter intersecting at about a ninety degree angle and at a predetermined distance from an exterior opening of each of the two fastener bores.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,293, issued to Bray, teaches a portable and collapsible fish house including a base structure with a toboggan type bottom for ease of movement and further including a collapsible top structure which mounts thereon to provide a weather tight enclosure. The base structure further has foldable cover members which provide seat surfaces in an erected position and the top structure includes an access door for ease of usage.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,387, issued to Thompson, teaches a portable ice fishing hut consisting of a sturdy plastic roof and floor shells secured together by collapsible supports. The walls of the hut are manufactured from a flexible skin and the entire structure can be collapsed together for convenient storage and transport.